Automobile trunk lock opening tool

ABSTRACT

A tool for temporary use in unlocking automobile trunks during body repair for proper fit and alignment of a trunk door with respect to the associated car body is described. A rigid, elongated tool shank portion has a handle at one end and a flexible shaft portion at the other end terminating in a flat shaft tip portion adapted to be received within the rotary slot of the door catch release mechanism at the inner panel of the door. A resilient attachment member frictionally slidable along the rigid shank portion is provided with a plurality of grooves of graduated size adapted to inter-engage within the lock cylinder opening in the inner panel of the door for retaining the tool in place to permit unlocking of the lock mechanism in substitution for the lock cylinder by turning the tool handle.

United States Patent [191 Steinmann, Jr.

[451 Jan. 29, 1974 [76] Inventor: Eugene B. Steinmann, Jr., 13100 NW. 19Ave., Miami, Fla. 33167 22 Filed: Nov. 27, 1972 21 Appl.No.:309,727

Primary ExaminerHarold D. Whitehead Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. ParkerAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Ernest H. Schmidt 57 I ABSTRACT A tool fortemporary use in unlocking automobile trunks during body repair forproper tit and alignment of a trunk door with respect to the associatedcar body is described. A rigid, elongated tool shank portion has ahandle at one end and a flexible shaft portion at the other endterminating in a flat shaft tip portion adapted to be received withinthe rotary slot of the door catch release mechanism at the inner panelof the door. A resilient attachment member frictionally slidable alongthe rigid shank portion is provided with a plurality of grooves ofgraduated size adapted to inter-engage within the lock cylinder openingin the inner panel of the door for retaining the tool in place to permitunlocking of the lock mechanism in substitution for the lock cylinder byturning the tool handle.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures AUTOMOBILE TRUNK LOCK OPENING TOOL Thisinvention relates to automobile repair tools and is directedparticularly to a tool for unlocking the latch mechanism of anautomobile trunk during auto body repair while testing for trunk door ortrunk lid fit during repair procedures.

In auto body repair for proper fit and alignment of car trunk doors orlids to the car body after collision, the lock cylinder mechanism isordinarily removed from the outer panel of the automobile trunk door orlid, leaving a lock opening hole through which, heretofore, ascrewdriver was inserted for engagement with a latch slot of the locklatch mechanism assembled at the inner panel of the door, enablingopening of the lock upon turning of the screwdriver. In undertakingrepair, the trunk door or lid is open and shut for locking over and overmany times, while body adjustments are made to achieve the desiredrestoration and fit. Each time the door is thus locked and unlocked itwas necessary to fish with a screwdriver through the lock opening in thedoor into the lock catch mechanism slot to enable release or unlockingof the door by turning the screwdriver, a tedious and time consumingprocedure.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide anautomobile trunk lock opening tool for use in auto body repair workwhich greatly simplifies the procedure of unlocking automobile doors orlids while effecting body repairs in trunk areas of automobiles.

A more particular object of theinvention is to provide an automobiletrunk lock opening tool of the above nature including gripping means forretaining the tool in engagement with the lock hole opening, and aninwardly extending, resiliently supported flat tip end portion adaptedfor insertion in the lock catch mechanism slot, whereby the door can beopened repeatedly simply by turning a handle at the outer end of thetool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock opening tool of thecharacter described wherein the gripping means is adjustable, both withrespect to the size of the lock hole opening and its distance from theflat tip end of the tool to provide for universal application to a widerange of automobiles having different trunk door lock design features.

Still another object ofthe invention is to provide an automobile trunklock opening tool ofthe above nature which will. be simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, effective in performance, anddurable in use.

Other objects, features and advantagesof the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating a rear portion ofan automobile body in the trunk area and showing the lock opening in thetrunk door, the key lock cylinder having been removed preparatory toundertaking repair;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trunk lock area of an automobile asillustrated in FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale and illustrating the usetherewith of a trunk lock opening tool embodying the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the tool, shown separately and with portionsbroken away to illustrate constructional details.

Referring first to FIG. 3 of the drawings, illustrating a preferred formof the lock opening tool 10, the same comprises an elongated,cylindrical handle 11 at one end coaxially secured to which is asubstantially rigid, intermediate shaft portion 12 the outer end ofwhich has coaxially secured thereto a comparatively short, helical wirespring flexible shank portion 13. Welded or otherwise secured incoaxial,outwardly extending relation with respect to the flexible shank portion13 is a flat, rigid tip portion 14. The tip portion 14 is slightlyshorter than the flexible shank portion 13, and. is rounded at its outerend, as indicated at 15. The inner end of the tip portion 14 isintegrally formed with a radially outwardly extending, right-angularabutment portion 16 which serves as a stop upon insertion of said tipportion in place in a lock catch release mechanism, as is hereinbelowmore particularly described.

A substantially cylindrical, rubber attachment member 17 provided withan axial through-opening I8 is frictionally slidable along the shaftportion 12 to accommodate fitting to various makes of automobilesdiffering somewhat in the spacing between the lock cylinder hole openingand the latch mechanism in the trunk door. The rubber attachment member17 is formed about its periphery with-a plurality of grooves 19 ofincreasing size from the tip end thereof to the opposite end foradaptive securement to lock holes in car trunk doors of variousdiametric size, as is hereinbelow more particularly described,Alternatively, the grooves 19- could be in the form of a screw thread toenable screwing into the lock hole opening upon attachment of thedevice.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings and considering the useof the tool, reference numeral 20 designates a portion of a vehicletrunk door or lid from which the lock has been removed, leaving theusual lock cylinder hole or opening 21. As illustrated in FIG. 2, thetrunk door comprises an inner panel portion 22 against which a lockmechanism 23 is affixed for projection through a door bottom opening 24for engaging, with its catch mechanism, a keeper (not illustrated)affixed with respect to the body of the vehicle, a portion of which bodyis illustrated and designated by reference numeral 25. In use, the toolwill be inserted through the lock cylinder opening 21 and manipulated sothat its tip end portion 14 engages within the slot 26 of the rotarymember 27 forming part of the lock mechanism 23. As illustrated in FIG.2, the abutment portion 16 of the tool tip 14 serves as a stop limitingthe inward move ment of the tool. After the tool is thus located andfitted in place, the resilient attachment member 17 will be pushedoutwardly along the shaft portion 12 of the tool until it is receivedwithin the lock openingZl, whereupon it can be fitted securely in placeby interengagement of an appropriate size groove 19 in close embracingrelation with the inner peripheral edge of said lock opening. lf,.instead of the grooves 19 being individual, they are in the form of acontinuous screw thread of increasing diameter, it is only necessary toturn the attachment member 17 with respect to the tool shaft portion 12at the same time that it is being pushed outwardly along said shaft toeffect secure interengagement with the lock opening 21. Once the toolhas thus been secured in place, it is a simple matter to turn the toolhandle ll through an angle of about circular degrees to effect unlockingof the lock mechanism 23. Since the frictional grip of the resilientattachment member 17 about the shaft portion 12 of the tool not onlyserves to retain the tool in place for as long as may be required toeffect body repair, but also permits turning of the shaft portion 12back and forth without disturbing the inter-fitting attachment of thetool, the associated trunk door can be unlocked by use of the tool, asit is retained in place, as often as may be necessary to complete bodywork and fit in the trunk area of the vehicle. The sliding frictionalfit of the resilient attachment member 17 along the tool shaft portion12, and the range of diameters of the grooves 19 in said attachmentmember, provides for adjustment for use of the tool in repairing trunkdoors of various makes of automobiles having a wide range of spacingbetween inner and outer panels of the trunk door and a wide range insize of lock cylinder opening.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which theinvention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to beunderstood that this form is given by way of example only and not in alimiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodimentsand modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automobile trunklock opening tool comprising a handle, anelongated, rigid, intermediate shaft portion extending outwardly of saidhandle, an elongated, flexible shaft portion affixed to and extendingoutwardly of the outer end of said intermediate shaft portion, a rigidtip member affixed to and extending outwardly of the outer end of saidflexible shaft portion, and a substantially cylindrical resilientattachment member having an axial through opening for the reception ofsaid intermediate shaft portion, said attachment member beingfrictionally slidable along said intermediate shaft portion.

2. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid attachment member is formed about its periphery with groove meansof increasing diameter along its length in the direction of said handlemember for interfitting attachment in a vehicle trunk door lock cylinderhole.

3. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 2 whereingroove means is in the form ofa screw thread.

4. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid attachment member is fabricated of rubber.

5. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 4 whereinsaid flexible shaft portion comprises a helical spring.

6. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid tip portion is flat and substantially rectangular in configurationfor interengaging reception within the rectangular slot of the rotarymember forming part of an automobile trunk lock mechanism.

7. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 6 whereinthe inner end of said tip portion is integrally formed with a laterallyoutwardly extending abutment portion serving as a stop limiting inwardmovement of said tip portion in the lock mechanism rotary member.

8. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 7 whereinthe outer end of said tip portion is rounded to facilitate entrance inthe rotary member slot.

1. An automobile trunk lock opening tool comprising a handle, anelongated, rigid, intermediate shaft portion extending outwardly of saidhandle, an elongated, flexible shaft portion affixed to and extendingoutwardly of the outer end of said intermediate shaft portion, a rigidtip member affixed to and extending outwardly of the outer end of saidflexible shaft portion, and a substantially cylindrical resilientattachment member having an axial through opening for the reception ofsaid intermediate shaft portion, said attachment member beingfrictionally slidable along said intermediate shaft portion.
 2. Anautomobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 1 wherein saidattachment member is formed about its periphery with groove means ofincreasing diameter along its length in the direction of said handlemember for interfitting attachment in a vehicle trunk door lock cylinderhole.
 3. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 2wherein groove means is in the form of a screw thread.
 4. An automobiletrunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said attachmentmember is fabricated of rubber.
 5. An automobile trunk lock opening toolas defined in claim 4 wherein said flexible shaft portion comprises ahelical spring.
 6. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined inclaim 1 wherein said tip portion is flat and substantially rectangularin configuration for interengaging reception within the rectangular slotof the rotary member forming part of an automobile trunk lock mechanism.7. An automobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 6 whereinthe inner end of said tip portion is integrally formed with a laterallyoutwardly extending abutment portion serving as a stop limiting inwardmovement of said tip portion in the lock mechanism rotary member.
 8. Anautomobile trunk lock opening tool as defined in claim 7 wherein theouter end of said tip portion is rounded to facilitate entrance in therotary member slot.